Political Heat

A new CNN poll is out, and yet again it only confirms what I've been saying on this blog: Americans are more liberal than the media depicts us to be. Think that's crazy talk? Consider this statistic. 46 percent of Americans believe that President Barack Obama's policies are too liberal, while 37 percent believe that they're just right. That might seem like an indictment of liberalism, but another 13 percent of Americans believe that the president isn't liberal enough. That means that, while the president's approval rating is only at 46 percent, his unfavorable rating is due largely to him not putting forth more liberal policies. 37 plus 13 percent -- or 50 percent -- of Americans like Obama's policies or believe they should go even further. This election isn't going to be won by an electorate that is overwhelmingly conservative, but rather lost due to an electorate that is uninspired by Obama and his Democratic Party thus far. If Obama stays steadfast,...

Two things you should know about Wisconsin and its Attorney General JB Van Hollen: First: did you know that Wisconsin is the only state in the U.S. that doesn't criminalize first-time OWI offenses? When you commit an OWI, though you do receive a harsh punishment, it's not technically considered a "crime" but rather a " municipal violation ." Second: did you know only one candidate for Attorney General this year, Scott Hassett, supports making first-time OWI offenses a crime, while current AG JB Van Hollen believes that enforcement of such a law, a law that every other state in the country executes without question, would be too costly to enforce? Whether or not it's too costly doesn't matter much to the families of those who have died at the hands of a drunk driver. More than 200 lives were lost last year due to drunk driving, with nearly 4,000 injuries the result of the deadly practice. With so much talk of cutting programs and moving our spending p...

I'm getting fed up with a tired meme. A lot of conservative politicians who are running for office are upset with the federal government's involvement in the private sector. Their argument lies upon a false premise: that the government cannot create private sector jobs. Besides the obvious failure of comprehension -- anyone with an internet connection can read the CBO's report on the millions of jobs created as a result of the stimulus package -- the idea that an unrestricted private sector is all that's needed to create jobs is bogus. Consider when, under the Clinton administration, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was passed. What happened then? Jobs went south of the border to where cheaper labor could be found. Additional free trade deals had similar effects: jobs, specifically in manufacturing, were exported from America to other countries in favor of cheap labor. It's true that the public sector shouldn't be depended upon to provide work ...

First posted on Dane101.com : There have been many criticisms made this election year regarding the career choices of candidates running for office, most notably those who are incumbents. Critics have blasted those seeking re-election as “ career politicians ,” condemning these candidates for getting comfortable with their position of power and forgetting the people they’re meant to represent. Two incumbents in Wisconsin are being challenged in part on the basis of choosing politics as their career. Sen. Russ Feingold is one such candidate. Having been behind in the polls for the better part of this election season, Feingold has narrowed the gap to within a statistical tie with his Republican counterpart and manufacturing millionaire Ron Johnson. Second Congressional District Rep. Tammy Baldwin is also facing a challenge from hard-right Republican candidate Chad Lee, who is a strong proponent of term limits for members of Congress (Baldwin’s chances are significantly stronger than Fe...

The Democratic Party is becoming more and more religious this election year, using the irreligious (and un-Christian) actions of some in the GOP as reason why voters should select certain Democratic candidates. To be sure, it isn't ALL Democrats who are doing this. But in two specific races, Democratic resources are being used to make sure the public sees the Republicans as anti-Christian. In Delaware, Christine O'Donnell is having a difficult time during a year when most TEA Party candidates have been seeing more success with their polling numbers. Her difficulties are due in large part to videos released by comedian Bill Maher, who had O'Donnell on as a regular on his TV show "Politically Incorrect" in the 1990s. In one video O'Donnell states that she chose not to become a Hare Krishna because she couldn't handle being a vegetarian ; in another, she admits that she once "dabbled" in witchcraft . Rand Paul, the libertarian-leaning Republican can...

What follows is more than an endorsement: it's a call to action. In 2006, Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold was contemplating something deep. Something that most people don't think about when they go to sleep at night. He was considering answering a call that not too many people consider, and only a select few have answered successfully. Russ was considering a run for President of the United States. Ultimately, Russ never answered that call. Service to the people of Wisconsin was more important than running a dark-horse campaign. "I never got to that point where I'd rather be running around the country, running for president, than being a senator from Wisconsin," he said, adding, "this effort would dismantle both my professional life (in the Senate) and my personal life. I'm very happy right now." And that's who Russ Feingold is -- a dedicated public servant, who has ALWAYS thought of his constituents first. Not even the temptation of the presidency ...

Know much about Rebecca Kleefisch ? You're not alone. The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor is relatively unknown through much of the state, save for Milwaukee where she once worked as a news anchor for that broadcasting area. Other than that, Kleefisch is a stranger, and even more unknown are her policy positions. You would think that the Walker-Kleefisch campaign would want to expose her ideals and vision for the state a little more. But the campaign is purposely keeping her from engaging in any debate with her Democratic counterpart, Tom Nelson . Why is that? Kleefisch has been described by many as being very similar ideologically to Sarah Palin . If voters in the state make that connection, it's likely that the Walker-Kleefisch campaign would lose some points among some independents and moderates in Wisconsin. Kleefisch describes herself as 100 percent pro-life -- even in cases of rape or incest -- and anti-gay rights. But on other issues, it's entirely impossi...

The Supreme Court last week heard arguments regarding the First Amendment rights of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). The group is notorious for going to soldiers' funerals and holding protests near their proceedings, holding signs with hateful words such as "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." The WBC believes that God is punishing soldiers and Americans overall because of the nation's tolerance for homosexuality, abortion, and other hot-button issues. Every death caused, the group warns, is simply God showing he is angry with our ways. The WBC is taking advantage of a Constitutional amendment that was designed to protect many forms of speech, but specifically political speech. The WBC is free to make their own speech as well. But critics wonder whether the right to invade a semi-private venue to express that speech -- such as a funeral -- is itself protected. We see it all the time, actually: permits are required to hold a rally in downtown...

An old high school classmate of mine died recently while serving his country. I just wanted to say a few words on this. I don't purport to know him well or to say that we were the best of friends...but Dan Johnson was a part of my life, however brief that time we knew each other was, and it wouldn't be right to let this moment go by without saying a few things that need to be said. Dan Johnson was a remarkable person. I will always remember these things about him: He was always genuine, most always happy, smiling and cracking jokes, and loved by most everyone that was lucky enough to have him in their lives. Dan was involved in the detonation of bombs and other explosives, and his work in both Iraq and Afghanistan saved countless lives of many soldiers in the line of duty. Dan will be missed by friends and family alike. I will personally always remember the goofball that always seemed to have a smile on his face. Hero, friend, all-around great guy. There is no doubt, he will be...

On Tuesday, October 5th, I did something that a lot of people reading this won't do until four weeks from now. I voted in the 2010 midterm elections. Many wait until the first Tuesday in November to fulfill this civic duty, but while the idea of long lines (for both registration and voting itself), possible voter caging making your trip longer , and a crowded area meant to hold about half the capacity it eventually will may SEEM appealing to some, voting early allows a person the ease of no lines, no wait, and the ability to leave Election Day free to do other things. It's kind of like filing your taxes before April 15. Most people do that -- why shouldn't we vote early too? I arrived at 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. around 11:50 Tuesday morning, having just left work for lunch about twenty minutes earlier. The City-County Building was relatively empty, save for the busy souls who are employed there, and I had no trouble looking up the elections room -- 103, right on the...

In my previous post, I asked a very important question, one that’s on the mind of many citizens in our state: who would be worse for Wisconsin, an incompetent leader or an ignorant one? In other words, who is a bigger threat to our state: Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker or Republican senatorial candidate Ron Johnson? Read more at Dane101.com .